The Metabolic and Exercise Physiology Laboratory operates through a structured, course-embedded testing model that supports physiological assessment, undergraduate research training, and interdisciplinary project development.
Hours of operation
The lab operates Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with designated testing blocks organized according to protocol-specific preparation requirements.
- Morning sessions are dedicated primarily to Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) assessment, allowing participants to complete testing under standardized pre-test metabolic conditions.
- Afternoon sessions are reserved for Graded Exercise Testing (GXT) and Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) protocols, which require additional exercise preparation and monitoring.
A typical visit
Because the MEPL combines physiological data with behavioral, psychosocial, and lifestyle information (such as sleep, activity, stress, nutrition, and caffeine intake), a typical laboratory visit includes the following intake procedure:
- Validated psychometric and behavioral questionnaires
- Baseline vital sign assessment
- Metabolic or exercise testing using the COSMED Quark RMR-CPET metabolic cart
Participants enrolled in select Health and Wellness Studies courses receive individualized physiological outputs generated from their testing sessions. These data are subsequently interpreted within course instruction as part of required curricular activities, allowing students to engage directly with real physiological assessment alongside concepts in metabolism, exercise physiology, nutrition, and health behavior.